News & Features | Gear Diary

News & Features April 30, 2011

Freestyle Buzz 2.0 Wristwatch Review

While preparing for our family vacation, which included a morning at surf school, I realized I no longer had a rugged watch. I’d owned several over the years, including an Ironman that lasted from Basic Training through several overseas trips before finally succumbing to a broken strap and went missing somewhere in the desert. Surfing…salt water…surf watch? Freestyle is a company which has been making saltwater-friendly watches for many years, so I picked up one of their midrange models. The Freestyle Buzz 2.o ($75-80 MSRP) has gigantic numbers for the main time, two time zones, two alarms, and the usual timer…

News & Features April 29, 2011

‘Hats’ Off to the Newly Married Royal Couple!

The media is super-saturated with coverage of the royal wedding, so I have no intent of spending any time on it. But as my wife and I drank coffee and watched the wedding – we normally watch the morning news, but the wedding was on pretty much every channel – we noted all of the wild hats. I couldn’t help but notice that next to the princess who reminded me of Monica Lewinski was another princess who was wearing a hat that looked like a combination of a wreath and a huge ribbon, but solid and attached to something that…

News & Features April 29, 2011

Review: Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera

Cisco may have shuttered the doors on the Flip camera, but there are many other cameras out there that are still available that are as good or better than the venerable Flip. Today I am going to take a look at the Kodak Zi8, which I recently purchased with a gift card I received from Judie for my birthday [Aww, that’s awesome! ~ Judie]. I’ve always wanted a dedicated video camera, and my old Aiptek died long ago. The Zi8 was high on my list for many reasons, and even though it’s not the latest and greatest, I thought I…

News & Features April 29, 2011

Hulu+ Arrives on XBOX Live Today! Hooray or Meh?

Hulu+ is available on your Mac or PC, your set top box such as the Roku we have (but alas not Apple TV), your iPhone or iPad, and your Playstation 3. With the computer devices you can use the ‘standard version’ for free but gain much greater access to programming with the $7.99 monthly fee. On other systems you need to have a ‘Hulu+’ account to access anything – though you can get a trial account on most systems. Now you can finally catch up on those episodes of Glee on your XBOX 360! Some background on Hulu: Hulu’s ambitious…

News & Features April 29, 2011

HBO NO! A Rant in Pictures

HBO GO for iOS is live and available for free in the App Store. It is awesome. You can watch HBO movies on the go. You can watch some of HBO’s amazing series. (I am totally into Game of Thrones!) You can watch HBO comedy, you know, the ones where the funny people don’t need to censor their language or content. You can even watch HBO “late night” programs… If you are into that sort of thing. Yes HBO GO is a GO… Unless it is a NO GO… Which is the case if you pay out the nose to…

News & Features April 29, 2011

Rackspace and Microsoft: A Possible Answer for Small and Medium Businesses

In a world of the “Haves” and the “Have Nots”, the “Haves” will always have a clear advantage. In business, large companies “have” dedicated IT personnel, while small to medium businesses “have not”. Rackspace Communications Services is looking to help change all that by making it possible for companies of all sizes to have their own IT access while providing a wide range of hosted and “cloud” solutions. Rackspace offers products including hosted exchange for email, calendar and task management, SharePoint, mobile solutions and storage. Rackspace is designed to provide comprehensive communications solutions in a manner that is affordable, powerful, and…

News & Features April 28, 2011

Pioneer HDJ-500T-K DJ Headphones Great for Listening and Handsfree Calling Too!

I’m always on the lookout for a good pair of comfortable, great sounding, good looking headphones and this new offering from Pioneer caught my eye. The HDJ-500T-K are a “multi-functional entry level DJ headphones that can be used for DJing, leisure music listening and now hands-free calling.” The latter functionality is arrived at thanks to two included, interchangeable cords: a coiled cord for DJ/relaxation listening and a straight cord with an integrated microphone for use with a smartphone. As David Arevalo, senior marketing manager, Professional Sound and Visual Division for Pioneer Electronics (USA) notes “Consumers are always looking for accessories that…

Gear Bits, News & Features April 27, 2011

A Mac Keyboard Accessory I Really Want: the Mobee Magic Bar

Mobee Magic Bar Both Elana and I use an Apple wireless keyboard with our MacBook Airs when we are at home. We love the keyboards and the flexibility they offer but we hate the wastefulness of constantly having to replace the batteries. Sure we could use rechargables and and we were about to get a system when I saw this: The Mobee Magic Bar. The Mobee Magic bar offers a USB-powered recharge dock for your keyboard that lets you cut the cords but then, when needed, charge it up once more by simple plugging it into the computer. It looks…

Editorials, News & Features April 27, 2011

GD QuickRant: TSA Redefines Terrorism …

Image courtesy of IVCaffeine … To Include Being Unhappy With Their Unconstitutional Screening Practices. Over at CNN there is an article that highlights a recent move by the TSA to categorize profiling of those who are unhappy with the potential added security screening as ‘potential threats’. There is also a video report. Here are a couple of quotes: the TSA‘s crack behavior detection officers are now on the lookout for “anyone who displays arrogance or expresses contempt for the screening process.” Why? Because scientific anti-terror detection techniques have now apparently revealed that complaining about poor treatment from airport security indicates…

News & Features April 27, 2011

ArchPort YogiStash Flip Flops Sport a Light, a Bottle Opener, and It Can Carry More!

When you are at the beach, there are only so many places that you can tuck an ID card or some spare cash; keeping a bottle opener handy can be a chore as well …. but no more! Here to help is the ArchPort YogiStash, a flip-flop with a stash compartment just under the arch. Available in blue or gray and in sizes that will fit most men and women, the YogiStash retails for $54.95 — about on par with other popular flip-flops without all the extras. These look like the pair to bring when you are trekking around on…

News & Features April 27, 2011

Movie Ages

While quoting lines from movies is as old as the ‘talkies’ themselves, over the last few decades movies have become so ingrained in our cultural fabric that they have become part of our identity. My family uses lines from Airplane!, Star Wars, Monty Python and many, many more on a regular basis. So I thought this comic was really cool … and a bit scary. It is best if you read from top to bottom … especially if you are over 35! Source: xkcd

News & Features April 26, 2011

Gear Games Update: Playstation Network / Qriocity User Data Compromised

Yesterday I wrote about the ‘ongoing PSN outage saga’. Today things get worse. Sony has confirmed what all users feared – personal user and account information has been compromised and ‘may’ have been stolen. Here is the full text of a message I got and that every PSN and Qriocity member will get: Valued PlayStation Network/Qriocity Customer: We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network. In response to this intrusion, we have: Temporarily turned off…

News & Features April 26, 2011

Randomly Tragic: 25th Anniversary of the Chernobyl Tragedy

Even after three years in New York I still keep up with the Boston Globe via their website, and today they have a short article that really caught my eye marking the 25th anniversary of the explosion that created the worst nuclear disaster in history – April 26, 1986. But what really struck me was the images: 34 images that show the ghost town of Pripyat in the shadow of the nuclear plant, as well as outlying areas. An area twice the size of New York state was contaminated, with a 19 mile exclusion zone set. From the article: On…

Gear Bits, News & Features April 26, 2011

Unruly Cables and Cords? Take Two Apple(cores) and Call Me In the Morning

Cords are a pain. Seriously. They are a royal pain. You got your headphone cords. You got your sync cords. You got your power cords. You got your… Never mind, you get the idea. The list goes on and on. Well here is one solution that is inexpensive, effective and a lot of fun too. The Applecore is a simple system for getting your cords in line. They come in small, medium and large so that headphones, sync and computer cables and power cords can all be effectively tamed. Better still they comes in a variety of colors. AND, and…

News & Features April 25, 2011

iWatchz Straps Make Mom’s iPod Nano a Fashionable Watch

One of the coolest things about the 6th generation Apple iPod nano is how it can be attached to a strap, transforming it into a watch with benefits. Dan has covered many of the available straps here previously, but these by iWatchz look so fun and colorful that they are worth mentioning for anyone who is looking for a colorful Mother’s Day surprise, a gift for a grad, or simply a cool way to wear their own nano. iWatchz is introducing their new alligator print Timepiece Collection and the Carbon Collection, but I still think their colored rubber ones are…

News & Features April 25, 2011

Help Wanted: Gear Diary Contributors

We would like to add a few new Gear Diary Contributors… You don’t have to have prior writing experience, and you don’t have to have an English degree; the main requirements are that you have an outspoken passion for technology, that you be able to explain sometimes complicated concepts (or products) in language that everyone can understand, that you know how to use spell check, and that you be able to make a deadline. The hours are terrible, the pay is non-existent, and you would have to be absolutely crazy to submit to this torture. But the payoff (assuming that…

News & Features April 24, 2011

Look, Up in the Sky, It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane It’s… A Car??? Terrafugia’s Transition Roadable Aircraft

File this under “I have seen the future and it is now”. This flying car would be the stuff of fantasy, or folly, except for one thing, it is exists and can be ordered now. Called the Transition, this car/plane (or is it plane/car??) is the brainchild of an MIT aerospace PhD Carl Dietrich and it has moved past the development phase in record time with him only conceiving of the idea in 2006. As the Transition’s website explains, Every pilot faces uncertain weather, rising costs, and ground transportation hassles on each end of the flight. The Transition® combines…

News & Features April 22, 2011

Cool MacBook Accessories: Silva Bamboo MacBook Case

This Silva Bamboo MacBook Case looks pretty darn awesome. It is super slim and, as a result, doesn’t seem to add too much size to your MacBook. In fact it pretty much looks like what a bamboo MacBook would look like. The case is handmade of raw bamboo that is milled-out To make room for the laptop. The result is a case that is apparently a perfectly fit for the Mac. Oh, and if you are worried about the wood scratching the computer don’t! The inside is lined with soft wool felt. The case is finished off with a leather…

Gear Bits, News & Features April 19, 2011

DropBox Updated with Cool New Features!

DropBox is a great tool – essentially it is simply an online storage provider, but the excellent Mac, PC, iOS and Android app interfaces make using that space and sharing items an absolute breeze! Yesterday my iPad pinged me that there was an update … and it has a few great new options! First, you can now bulk upload photos rather than doing them one at a time! Generally I wouldn’t worry about this, but I just scanned dozens of old slides from my parents and wanted to have them available in multiple locations in addition to my iPad. DropBox…

News & Features April 18, 2011

Celebrate National Park Week April 16-24

This Rocky Mountain National Park chipmunk is ready for his closeup This just in from the National Park Foundation: Top 10 ways to celebrate National Park Week 2011. Our national parks are our treasures and should not be missed. The handful I have visited over the years (some repeatedly) cannot be expressed in mere words or pictures; they truly have to be experienced. If not during National Park Week, at some point make it a priority to visit a national park or two (or more, discover for yourself that feeling of awe and amazement as you explore new places that…

News & Features April 18, 2011

Bluetrek CARBON Headset: Super Strong and Super Light

Bluetooth headsets have been given a bad rap by some. Yes, they can look kind of geeky. And yes, they can make you look like you are being even more anti-social than ever. And yes, some of the bigger ones make you look plain stupid. But Bluetooth headsets ARE convenient, they DO make speaking a big easier by leaving both hands free and they ARE safer if you are speaking in the car. And now, thanks to Bluetrek Bluetooth headsets CAN be a fashion statement. The new Bluetrek CARBON is “equipped with the best in class audio enhancement technology” but…